A Touch of Destiny
by TheProphecyChild
Summary: A young shaman girl meets many fellow shamans during the tournament, yet Hao Asakura is undoubtedly the most intriguing. When he comes to her with an offer, what will she do? And how will it affect her fate? Time will tell if she has the heart to survive.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the English Anime.

Prologue

* * *

"_To truly become powerful, you must understand not only your own emotions and how you think, but how your opponents think, as well."_

My bare feet dangled over the edge of the low-hanging bridge and my toes dipped into the water. Shutting my eyes, I crossed my arms over the railing and recalled my father's words; he had had much to say before I left on my journey. Last minute advice and well-wishes, hoping I would accomplish my goal.

"_Understanding how your opponent thinks and what they feel is the key to foreseeing their attacks. If you can do that, victory is almost certain."_

I snorted and reopened my eyes. I stared down at the water; my vibrant green eyes glanced back at me. Victory? Foreseeing attacks hardly ensured victory; it merely made it easier. Battle skills were needed to win, or else a loss would soon follow. I did not want to lose - I could not lose.

"_Believe in yourself, Era. Believe in yourself and go forth - the time is nearly upon us. You must rise up to the challenge and ensnare your destiny. Life is in your hands now; do well, my daughter."_

Lifting my feet from the cool liquid, I pulled myself up and slid into my sandals. Belief, destiny… Those were but two of the important things in life; I would not let my father down. I'd never forgive myself if I did. To let him down would be like ripping my soul into a million pieces and that was something I could not afford to do.

"_Believe in yourself…"_

As I turned around, a flash of blue caught my attention from the corner of my eye. Craning my neck to see, the slightest hint of a smile crossed my expression at the sight of the destiny star. The sacred blue object flew through the sky, bringing with it, its opposite, hidden in the shadows: The star of destruction.

My smile faded to a frown as realization hit me. The time for the tournament had arrived and the fate of the world lay in the hands of many young shamans. But only one could be the savior. As the star faded in the distance, I shook my head and walked, soon hitting firm land instead of the wooden bridge. The presence of the destiny star meant the battles would soon begin; I needed to prepare myself.

"I must win," I murmured, heading to the hotel I took residence in. "I must…"

_My fate depends on it._

* * *

I recently posted a short piece which was a snippet of this story, because I was unsure of if I would write out the entire story. I have decided to do so; I will try my best to bring out new chapters within a decent timespan - my plan is to try to get one chapter written and posted every week, but I cannot guarantee it. I do, however, promise that I will do my best, no matter what.

The main Shaman King character in this will be Hao Asakura, but he will not appear until a bit later in the story. I have major plans for this story, so I hope you enjoy this prologue and will enjoy more once I have posted it.


	2. Chapter One: Deadly Qualifications

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King, nor do I own any of the Shaman King characters. I do, however, own Era and Serena, as they are my own characters.

**Note:** This story is based off the Anime.

* * *

Chapter One: Deadly Qualification

The sun had descended, encasing the world in darkness. An eerie silence seemed to cover the Earth like a veil, as if the Mother Nature knew the time for the tournament had come. I had long returned to my hotel room and sat in the windowsill, back leaning against one side, with my right foot propped up against the other.

My gaze focused on the sky as thoughts swirled inside my head; I had lost patience to wait for my qualification test, yet had no choice. As such, I reluctantly found myself confined in my room.

"Are you nervous?"

A slight frown tugged at the corners of my lips and I nodded. "Yes," I admitted with a sigh. "It's hard, not knowing who my opponents will be and how powerful they are." My father may have trained me well, but nerves were not something that could be trained. As such, unease had settled in my stomach. I despised the feeling that racked by body, yet had no method to kick it out.

Serena, my guardian spirit, appeared beside me and I felt her rest a hand on my shoulder. "It's natural to be nervous," she said, flicking her long, golden-blonde locks over her shoulder. "You'll do well, I believe in you."

I smiled and tucked a strand of my dark blonde hair behind my ear; my hair reached my mid-back. Though my hair had faded to a darker shade than hers, our eyes were the same vibrant green. It was a family trait that had been passed along for centuries.

"I hope so."

A star flew through the sky in the distance and my stomach lurched in anticipation. "That was it." I recalled how a patch tribe member had come to me earlier in the day.

"_Look for the sign given by the stars."_

If that wasn't it, then clearly insanity had entered my body, along with my nerves. "Are you ready?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Serena nod in response. "Then let's go."

Though I could have jumped out of the window, I took the long way around and left the hotel through the door as it should be. The path to the challenge seemed shorter than it should've and as I walked, my nerves faded to a near-unnoticeable level. It took only minutes for me to arrive at a park where the patch member waited for me.

"I suppose it's time to begin." The slightest smile crossed my face and excitement flared in my stomach, beating out the rest of my nerves.

"You seem eager, Era," he spoke in a deep voice and removed his mask."My name is Silva and I have been sent here to test you." For a guy, he had long hair; I gave him that much credit. It even passed my own length.

I nodded in understanding; my father had prepared me well for this day. "What is the test?"

His expression was serious. "You must hit me. But there is a catch - you must do so in ten minutes."

Ten minutes couldn't be too hard. Yes, he happened to be a patch member, but they would not set a challenge that young shamans would be unable to pass. If they did that, they would have no new Shaman King. Or Queen, for that matter.

"Let us begin." He appeared in front of me before I had the chance to do anything. "Spirit of the Buffalo."

I gasped and flew back as his kick hit me square in the chest. Crashing to the hard ground, a hiss in pain left my lips and I clutched my chest, wheezing. _Shit_, that hurt. It took me embarrassingly long to get back to my feet and even then, my legs were shaky. He was _good._

"Enemies will not wait for you to strike, nor will they allow you time to recuperate."

Scowling in annoyance, I stuck my right arm out to the side. "We'll see about that," I stated, eyes narrowed. "Serena, spirit form!"

Serena's feminine appearance faded into a light grey orb which then expanded. A staff materialized in my outstretched hand, made from my guardian herself. It was nearly as tall as me; the staff itself a pale grayish-blue with a silver orb on the top. The orb had designs carved into it and thin blades of gold surrounded the orb, seeming to encase it.

A look of satisfaction crossed Silva's face. "Your guardian was a mage in her lifetime, correct? She gives you her power by becoming that staff."

I smiled and twirled the staff in my hand, getting back into the way of fighting. "Yes, she was a mage."

"Perhaps she can control that power, but can you? Few people possess strength of a mage and can use it properly."

A laugh escaped me. Control the power? Of course I could, otherwise I would've had a different battle technique. "Why don't we test that theory?"

He nodded. "There are six minutes remaining."

Six minutes? Time was going a lot faster than I expected it to; I needed to hurry up and hit him. _Let's go._ With minimal concentration, I focused on the staff and swung it in front of me, sending a strong gust of wind towards Silva. Serena had been a wind mage; a powerful one, at that.

Silva blocked the blast with his shield and before I had the chance to react, another well-aimed kick connected with my stomach. I cried out as a sickening _crack_ echoed through the air and I slammed back-first onto the ground. I covered my mouth as I began to cough heavily, which caused pain to my chest. My breath escaped me as ragged pants and a look at my hand showed blood.

"It's not too late to forfeit. I can take you to the hospital."

Pressing the bottom of my staff into the ground, I used it as leverage to hoist myself up. It hurt like hell, but I did not plan to give up. He had obviously broken at least one of my ribs and if the blood and irregular breathing were any proof, said-rib had punctured one of my lungs. I had to win fast or I would not survive to see the next day.

"I- I… won't give up." Lifting my staff, I managed to hold my own weight and get into a battle stance. "Not this easily."

It was hard to tell if he was impressed by my passion, or confused as to why I'd risk my life. I decided the former deemed true and started collecting my Furyoku for a final attack. If I had to go down, I'd go down with a blast.

"I must increase a level." With those words, Silva began to combine his spirits.

I frowned, recalling what he had said. _"Enemies will not wait for you to strike, nor will they allow you time to recuperate."_ What I had to do was perfectly clear; attack him in his moment of weakness. I summoned all of my Furyoku and with one fell swoop, sent my strongest blast of wind at him, molded into an imaginary blade.

It connected, but the blast blocked my vision. Had I managed to hit him? Did I qualify or not? As soon as my strength left me, I fell into a coughing fit and crashed to my knees, wincing in pain; I couldn't take it, the excruciating agony too much for me.

As my staff dissipated and Serena appeared, my sight began to fade and within seconds, all went black around me.

* * *

And so the actual story finally begins. I decided that, since the prologue was so short, it would only be fair to get the first part written soon so you have more to look forward too. But, _damn_, Era had a hard time here. Just wait until she starts meeting actual Shaman King characters, especially Hao - then things will truly get interesting.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out so I can edit them; I have read over this twice, but some mistakes always manage to slip through.


	3. Chapter Two: No Recovery Time

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Two: No Recovery Time

Only one thing was certain when I woke up two days after my qualification exam: I felt like crap. Every muscle in my body burned and ached, yet none of that came close to the sharp stabs that pierced my chest every time I took a breath.

Make it two things, actually. After all, I was still breathing (though it hurt like hell), which meant I hadn't died.

"Era," Serena spoke in a soft tone. The spirit of the young woman sat on a chair beside my bed. "You're alright."

I groaned and pushed myself into a half-way sitting position, hissing slightly in pain. "I wouldn't say alright, but I am alive." When I managed to sit up, a thought crossed my mind and anxiety slammed into me like a wave. "Did I hit him?"

A slight smile crossed Serena's lips and she nodded. "Yes, you did. You collapsed afterwards and Silva brought you here to the hospital." She pointed at a small table next to my bed. "He left your oracle bell here; it's how the shaman council will contact you with information on your fights - opponents, time and place. You got a message earlier today."

A message already? Reaching over, I grabbed the _oracle bell_, a small piece of technology, and opened the message. A name appeared on the screen and I frowned - the last name sounded familiar, yet I couldn't place it. I hated when I had such short term memory.

"Who is your opponent?" I heard the curiosity in her voice.

"Someone named Tao Ren. I know the last name from somewhere, but…" Thinking after I had been knocked out for two days was a lot harder than it seemed. "I just can't place it."

"We'll see who it is when the time comes. When is the fight?"

I switched to the next part of the message and my eyes widened at what it said. "At midnight," I began. "…Tonight."

* * *

"Era, you cannot do this!"

Ever since I read the message, Serena had been trying to talk me out of it, but I wasn't the type to give up without a fight. Now, hours later, I had snuck out of the hospital and headed towards the woods where the match would be. The sun had long set - it was already eleven thirty, after all.

"You're injured! You just had one of your lungs punctured and had to have the hole surgically closed; you're in no condition to fight and you know it."

A heavy sigh escaped me, which I instantly regretted as pain tore through me, and I shook my head. "I can't afford to miss a match. I will not forfeit."

"You would rather risk death?"

I paused, frowning. How could I explain what the tournament meant to me? "…I'm already risking my life by being _in_ the tournament."

"That doesn't mean you must make your death easier," Serena scolded. "Forfeit the match and rest up; you'll be able to win the other two matches then, which is all you need to move on."

"And what if I don't win those matches?" My voice came out harsher than I would have liked, but she was pissing me off. "Say I forfeit this match and then lose one of the others: I will be out of the tournament! I can't afford to risk it; I need to at least try."

Reaching the area of the fight, I sat down with my back against a tree and ran a hand through my blonde hair. A soft breath escaped me and I calmed down. "I know you're trying to help, Serena," I said. "I just can't risk not moving to the next round, just because I'm injured."

"You're being foolish."

Despite that statement, I heard the defeat in her words and I raised my gaze to look at her. "I know," I admitted with a hint of a smile. "But it's how I am; I won't give up easily. You know that."

Finally, Serena smiled. "I know. That's why I'm here to protect you."

"How sweet, I think I'm going to cry!"

At the sound of the male voice, I forced myself to my feet and turned to face the unannounced presence. The guy in front of me was shorter than me, yet his hair made up for that. His hair seemed to be a dark shade of purple and shot up to the sky, while his eyes shone a vibrant golden brown.

"Let me guess, you must be Era? This battle will be far easier than I anticipated." A grin crossed his expression.

I scowled, annoyance creeping into my body. _Arrogant prick. _"We'll see about that, Ren."

Serena formed into my staff as I stuck out my arm and I gripped the rod tightly. It hurt to stand without support, but I didn't want to show him I was already weakened. I twirled the staff in my hand in an attempt to keep my mind off the pain. It didn't work well, yet it helped a little.

"Let's begin."

Ren laughed and a Chinese spirit appeared behind him. "As you wish! Bason!"

As his weapon appeared, I felt my confidence dwindle. There was no way I could defeat someone who had such an offensive weapon _and_ who was not injured. My injury made things difficult for me; I needed to stay far away for my magic attacks, yet couldn't run or dodge due to my injuries. The match was as good as lost.

Before he had the chance to preemptive strike me, I swung my staff in front of me and sent a powerful gust of wind at him. He dodged and came at me; he had speed. Gasping, I held my staff in front of me with both hands and blocked the blow in the nick of time. The force of his attack was astounding – it knocked me back and I crashed against a tree. The first con of fighting in the woods had been found.

"Is that all you've got?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my staff flicker, indicating my Furyoku had already begun to run out. Was I truly so weak at that moment that one blow had drained nearly all of my Furyoku? I stood up again, stumbling, but kept my ground. I wouldn't lose that easily.

I narrowed my eyes. "This fight is only just beginning."

"You can hardly keep your ground and you expect to win? You don't stand a chance!"

No more was said as he rushed towards me again and slashed at me. I quickly sidestepped and avoided most of the blow - the rest got blocked by my staff and I flew back a couple feet, this time landing on my feet.

My staff flickered again.

It took all of my Furyoku to keep the weak shadow of a staff formed, but it wouldn't remain for long. Ren bolted towards me, expression determined and angry, and slashed one final time. It hit my staff dead-on as I blocked and a scream tore from my lips as my staff seemed to shatter into a million tiny pieces.

Ren took a step back as I collapsed to my hands and knees, my breaths escaping me as ragged pants. My entire body throbbed in pain and it felt like a knife got stabbed repeatedly into my chest with every irregular breath I took. Blonde hair fell over my shoulders and I was glad it blocked Ren's view of my face as tears stung at the back of my eyes. The first real match of the tournament and I had lost. From then on, it would either get better or worse, but which one it would be; I had no clue.

"…Destroy or be destroyed."

"W-What..?" I looked up as he said that, confusion entering my body. And then the meaning of his words hit me like a brick and my eyes widened. "N-No… You already beat me!"

Serena appeared in front of me, just as Ren raised his weapon to strike. "Enough!" Her voice sounded determined and defiant; it was the type of voice a parent would use to scold their children. "You already defeated her, now move on."

Serena blocked my view of Ren, but I was sure he did not look happy. All I could do was hope he would listen to her. If he didn't, my life would come to an abrupt end and the next time I'd be in the tournament would be as a guardian spirit.

"Fine." Her tone seemed to have worked on him. "I have better things to do." Soft footsteps echoed on the ground, growing fainter as Ren walked away.

A shaky sigh escaped me as Serena kneeled down beside me. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," I spoke, forcing a smile. "But I think I should have listened to you after all."

She shook her head. "As long as you're OK, it's fine. I know you, you'll win your next two matches; I'll help you defeat your opponents."

A genuine smile replaced the façade on my features. "Thanks." I stood up unsteadily, using a tree to support myself. "I think I would like to go to bed now." I hadn't realized how exhausted I was until after the fight and near-death experience.

Serena nodded and a soft smile appeared on her face. "I can imagine, let's go back to the hotel."

With a nod, I began to walk a steady, slow pace out of the woods and towards the hotel. As I did so, a single thought found its way into my mind and haunted me, even as I arrived at the hotel and prepared to go to bed.

_What if one of my next opponents was even stronger than him?_

* * *

Here is the second chapter of my Shaman King story. Era is having a rather difficult time, isn't she? Yet things are finally starting to get interesting as she meets more characters. I hope I am doing alright in keeping everyone in character; this is my first Shaman King fan fiction, so any advice is greatly appreciate.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out so I can edit them; I have read over this twice, but some mistakes always manage to slip through.


	4. Chapter Three: Interlude

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Three: Interlude

Three weeks had passed and I had finished regaining my strength and healing my wounds, for the most part. Physically, I was alright, but my loss to Ren still stung. Though I made up for it with a devastating win over some other shaman, just two days ago; the poor girl hadn't known what hit her. I actually felt sorry for beating her.

One loss, one win, one left - I had to be at full strength if I planned to win the upcoming battle. I could not afford to lose, not when the second round lingered just beyond. Yet deep in my heart, I felt hesitance; I was unsure if I could win the fight, but I forced those thoughts deeper.

A sigh escaped me and I grabbed the mortuary tablet off my bedside table. "Serena?"

The young woman's spirit instantly materialized on the bed, sitting next to me. "What's on your mind, Era?" Concern reflected in her eyes.

Frowning as I set the tablet back down, I decided to stick to the truth. "I'm worried," I admitted. "I'm not sure I can win the upcoming battle."

Serena shook her head, blonde hair following her movements. "Don't say that," she scolded in a stern tone. "You don't even know who your opponent will be."

Letting a sigh escape me, I lowered my gaze to stare at the floor. "I know, but…" Serena had a good point, but it didn't help to dull my nerves. "What if the other shaman is more powerful than Ren? There's no way I'll win!"

"You were injured." Serena got off the bed and headed to the open window. "If you weren't injured, you might have been able to defeat him. Knowing that, you shouldn't worry too much. You're at full strength now."

A brief pause ensued as I didn't say anything, pondering her statement. She had a point, I'd gladly admit that. Yet she had said it herself – I _might_ have been able to beat him. I forced the thoughts from my mind and walked over to her. Resting my hands on the windowsill, I stared up at the night sky, thoughts pouring through my mind.

"…I'll just do my best."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Serena nod. "If you do your best, I shall do the same. If we fight together, we can overcome whatever shaman the shaman council throws at us."

A laugh escaped me - Serena sure had a way with words. "Alright," I agreed. "We'll work together to defeat our opponent. After all, a shaman is nothing without their guardian." I turned to face her and smiled. "And no one can defeat us at full strength, since it's your blood that courses through my veins."

She smiled and reached out a hand as if to wipe stray strands of hair from my face. "Exactly." Her expression turned caring as she looked at me. "It's good to know that despite what happened to me, my bloodline has created such a wonderful girl."

The slightest tint of red burned my cheeks and a soft laugh escaped me. "It's all thanks to you, don't forget that."

Serena shook her head, smiling. "No. You would have become this way even without my help."

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, loud ringing filled the room and I instantly turned to face my bed stand. My oracle bell lay upon it and the screen had begun to flash, indicating a new message.

"…My next opponent."

My nerves raged inside me as I closed the distance between my bed stand and I and picked up the oracle bell, opening the message. A name appeared on the screen and after reading it, my eyes widened. My nerves seemed to disappear, yet reappeared within seconds.

"Well… We get to fight someone we know," I told Serena, answering her unasked question. _And there's no way in hell I can defeat him._ "I might as well just forfeit and be done with the tournament."

"Era," Serena said sternly. "Don't say that! Your opponent cannot be that powerful."

A wry smile crossed my lips. "Oh?" I shook my head. "You wouldn't say that if you'd read the name." That shut her up for the briefest amount of time.

"…Who is it?"

I sighed and sat down on my bed, holding the oracle bell in my hands. Disbelief had begun to sink in; my attempt to win the tournament had just crashed and burned before my very eyes, though I hadn't technically lost my second match. Yet.

"It's Faust, Serena," I admitted as a sad smile crossed my expression. "Faust VIII."

_I was doomed._

* * *

I apologize for the fact that this chapter is not as long as others; it is a brief interlude, as stated in the title, so that I did not have to write about her overcoming her wounds. I assumed there were more interesting things to write about, which is why I moved on to this.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out so I can edit them; I have read over this, but some mistakes always manage to slip through.


	5. Chapter Four: Previous Encounter

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Four: Previous Encounter

Under Serena's strict guidance, I had trained during the week between receiving the message and the actual fight. We both _knew_ Faust personally, but if it came to a fight, I was certain I would lose. He would not hold back, of that much I was certain.

"You'll do fine," Serena stated in an attempt to cheer me up. "Trust me on this."

Sighing, I entered the woods once more. Ironic, how I lost my first fight there and would lose there the second time, as well. I headed deeper into the woods and Serena floated along behind me, keeping quiet. She probably knew how I felt and knew she couldn't help my anxiety.

A couple minutes deeper in the woods and I spotted a figure in the distance. A lump began to form in my throat; despite the fact that I knew I would lose, I couldn't wait to see him again. It had been so long since we'd seen each other.

As I drew closer to him, features began to distinguish themselves. Messy, layered blonde hair framed his face and blue eyes watched me as I approached. Like the last time I had seen him, he wore a long, white medical coat.

"Faust VIII." I stopped a couple meters away from him. "Wir haben uns schon lange nicht gesehen."

"Hello, my German-speaking friend." The ghost of a smile crossed his lips. "How long has it been?"

I frowned, thinking for a moment. "About two years, I believe? I haven't seen you since I last came to Germany."

"Ah, right; the young girl travelling in search of a guardian spirit." He turned his gaze to Serena. "How has she been faring with her training?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Serena flick her hair over her shoulder. "Era's been doing well; she's come a long way."

Faust nodded, a thoughtful expression coming to his face. "And with the tournament?"

I paused and looked away from him. The truth hurt, but there was no point in not telling him. "One loss, one win," I admitted. "What about you?"

"Two wins." Typical - of course he'd already passed. "For someone who has lost a match, it seems to me that you've already given up. That's not how I know you; weren't you the determined girl who travelled to Germany on her own, from America, to find Serena?"

I looked down, recalling the first time I had met him.

* * *

_Shivering, I wrapped my hooded vest tighter around me. Cold wind whipped around; it felt as if my clothes were absolutely useless - the wind went right through them. Despite the cold, I pressed on and entered the cemetery in the town my ancestors had lived in, before they fled to America. Graves of varying size and stature filled the place - how was I going to find the spirit I was looking for?_

_To top it off, my German was rusty at best, so asking the other spirits hardly seemed like an option. I needed someone who knew English, but what were the chances of finding an ancient spirit who happened to speak English?_

_Sighing, I walked through the graveyard in a steady pace, eyeing the graves, yet none of them had her name carved upon them. "Serena," I muttered. "Where are you?" The only answer I received was soft drops of rain that began to fall from the black, star-filled sky. "Wonderful."_

_I continued walking, but froze at the soft sound of footsteps not my own. Turning around, I realized a man stood before me - his hair was blonde and messy and he looked tired, very tired. He also seemed vaguely surprised to see me there._

"_Was machst du hier? Es ist doch viel zu sp__ä__t__?" _

_Times like these were when I cursed my rusty German; luckily, I managed to catch what he was saying. I decided to ignore his questions for that moment and summoned my superb German skills._

"_E-Erm… Sprechen Sie… Englisch?" I swear I felt myself go red; I felt cornered and did not like that feeling, to say the least. I had officially left my comfort zone. _

_For a moment, the stranger looked surprised, but then he smiled. "Of course," he answered. "Now what is a girl like you doing here, at a time like this?" _Damn,_ his English was flawless, save for a minor accent. It made me feel even more like an idiot for my crappy German._

"…_I'm looking for someone," I confessed. For some reason, I felt like I could trust him, which freaked me out. He could've easily been a pedophile, yet I felt like I could trust him. Crappy logic. "Her name's Serena."_

_His blue eyes narrowed slightly. "The sorceress?" _

_My eyes widened in shock. He knew her? Talk about luck. "Yes." I nodded, still surprised. "She's the one I'm looking for."_

"_You're a shaman, aren't you?"_

_If my eyes could've widened more, they would have. Shaman - how did he know? How did he know about them? "How…"_

_He laughed, shaking his head. "Serena has been dead for centuries and was seen as a witch. You wouldn't have come here just to see the place she was burned at." He turned away, his back facing me. "And she's not in the graveyard, but I can show you her resting place."_

_For the first time since I'd met him, hesitance entered my body. Was it safe to trust him enough to follow him? I couldn't be sure, but… what if he truly knew where Serena was? I wanted her as my guardian spirit and perhaps he could truly lead me to her._

"_Oh, where are my manners?" He turned to face me once more. "I am Faust VIII, a doctor and shaman." He smiled and odd as it was, that reassured me. "Are you coming?"_

_After a brief moment of hesitance, I nodded. "Yes. Let's go."_

* * *

Faust was watching me with an unreadable expression. I would've asked him what he was thinking, but I doubted he'd share. Though I hadn't talked to him but, I doubted he was the type to do that.

"You don't want to fight me."

His statement surprised me, but I sighed. He had seen through my façade; I should've seen it coming. "No," I reluctantly admitted. "I don't."

"And you're willing to throw the tournament away just because of that?"

His question caught me off guard and I nodded. "I hardly wish to fight someone whom I consider a friend; after all, I wouldn't want to ruin your dream."

At that, Faust laughed. "My dream? I've already qualified for the next round, Era. You, on the other hand…" Faust turned to the side and looked up towards a large branch. Following his gaze, I saw one of the members of the patch tribe who must've been the one to oversee our match. His gaze was serious as he regarded us with interest.

"I forfeit the match."

"W-What?" My eyes widened in disbelief. "Why..? You can't forfeit the match!"

He smiled and opened his doctor's coat, revealing his guardian _spirit_, Eliza; the skeleton he always kept with him. "It's for a good cause," he stated. "Besides… Eliza and I could use a break, right my sweet? Our last battle got rather rough, so it's for the best." He turned his back to me. "After all… I heard about why you lost the first fight. I'm not cruel enough to take your chance at the title away. I'll see you in the next round."

With that, Faust began to walk away and within seconds, he had faded into the darkness.

"How could he…"

"Faust cares about you," Serena stated and I looked up at her, startled. "He lost the one person he cared about and I believe you were the first to show him sympathy and to care for him. My guess is that he regards you as family, perhaps a younger sister, or daughter."

"Really..?" I stared at where he had disappeared to, still shocked. "He forfeited because of that..?" At that moment, the oracle bell rang, signaling the start of the fight.

The patch tribe member jumped down from the tree. "As Faust VIII is not here in time for the fight and willingly forfeited the match, I have no choice but to let you pass." He frowned. "You're a lucky girl. Had you fought him, you would not have succeeded." With that said, he turned and left much like Faust had.

"You pass," Serena repeated, smiling.

A smile began to creep unto my face. "Yeah," I admitted. "I did."

_Thank you, Faust._

* * *

"Wir haben uns schon lange nicht gesehen." – "We haven't seen each other for a long time."  
"Was machst du hier? Es ist doch viel zu spät?" – "What are you doing here? Isn't it far too late?"  
"E-Erm… Sprechen Sie… Englisch?" – "E-Erm… Do you... speak English?"

Since the previous part is so short, I decided to write one more part today. My original plans for the day were cancelled, so I had nothing better to do. ^-^ And the ironic part is that this chapter is longer than most, while the previous was shorter than most. I guess I made up for it, though it's mostly due to the flashback. It's time to start learning a bit about Era. So yeah, Era actually has met Faust before, and it seems he has a soft spot for her.

If you see any mistakes, please feel free to let me know; I've read through this but some mistakes always manage to slip through.


	6. Chapter Five: Problematic Conditions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Five: Problematic Conditions

"My apologies, Era-san, but you cannot go on this flight."

My frown deepened and I set my suitcase down, releasing my grip on the handle. "I paid for a ticket," I stated. "How can I _not_ go on the flight?"

The woman's eyes shone in regret. "It seems we accidentally double-booked a couple seats in this flight. So many people want to go to America at this time and that's what caused it. Regretfully, you were the second booking of that seat."

A heavy sigh escaped me. "What about other flights?" I ran a hand through my blonde hair, trying to keep my frustration to a minimum. "Surely there must be something."

The woman typed vigorously and read what appeared on the monitor. The results made her shake her head. "Everything is full. The earliest flight you could take would be in eight days."

Which would eliminate eight days of my precious time to find the village? I couldn't afford to wait that long. I forced a smile as I looked at her. "Thank you for your time." Grabbing my suitcase, I turned and left the airport.

"Damn it," I muttered. "Now what?"

Serena materialized behind me, frowning. "You need to get to America." She glanced around and then came to an abrupt halt, staring at the section for private planes. "…It looks like Ren has a plane and is giving others a lift."

I stopped and followed her gaze. Sure enough, Ren stood by a decent-sized private plane with at least three other people. "No," I said as I realized what she was suggesting. "No. I am not asking him for help."

"You wouldn't be asking for help, just a lift." Serena turned to me and frowned. "You don't have much of a choice."

As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I had to ask him, or wait eight days and risk not arriving at the village on time. I didn't want to ask Ren for help, of all people, but in that case… Serena had a point - I needed to ask him.

Going against all my instincts, I walked over to them, though frowned as another large group of people did the same. My eyes grew wide as Ren and another boy were knocked back by a huge spirit - one I recognized as the spirit of fire. I broke into a run and had soon reached them and narrowed my eyes at the one who had attacked so ruthlessly.

His brown hair fell well past his mid-back, slightly longer than my own hair, and his eyes matched that color. He wore a long, light-colored poncho and dark, wide-legged pants with belts looping on either side of his legs. Despite that he had just attacked two people; he was smiling, as if nothing had happened.

"Hao-sama, can we go now?" A young girl came up from behind him and lightly tugged on his pants to get his attention.

"Yeah, we're getting bored," one of the others people stated.

Hao glanced down at the young girl and nodded. "Of course, Opacho. We're done here." He looked at Ren's group one last time. "I expect you to get stronger, Yoh. Don't disappoint me." With that said, he and the others got onto his spirits back and soon vanished into the distance.

"Erm…" As Ren and his friends began a conversation about the guy named Hao, I slowly took the few steps closer to them, cursing Serena as I did so. "Ren?"

My presence stopped their conversation and they turned to face me. Ren frowned, though seemed to recognize me. "Era, right? What do you want?"

Serena appeared next to me, apparently deciding to take control of the situation. "She was hoping she could travel with you," she stated. "She had a plane ticket, but it ended up being double-booked, so she has no way to get to America now. And this may just be my opinion, but after nearly killing her, I believe this is the least you could do."

Ren scowled. "I don't need you to tell me that!"

"Hey, the more the merrier, right?" A guy who looked oddly like Hao said, smiling. "I say she can come. Any friend of Ren is a friend of ours."

"She's hardly my friend, Yoh." He climbed the metal stairs to the entrance of the plane. "Let's go! We have a village to find."

"Don't mind him," Yoh said with a smile. "He's always like this. I'm Yoh, by the way." He held out his hand.

Smiling, I nodded and took his hand. "I'm Era, nice to meet you." At least not everyone had Ren's attitude, that was a relief.

He grinned. "Come on; let's go before he leaves us behind!" With that, Yoh led me into the plane and sat down by his friends. Though hesitant, I decided to stay near them; it had been a long time since I had pleasant conversations with those my age.

"Well," Yoh began. "You already know Ren and me, and these two are Horohoro and Ryu."

"Hi!" Horohoro waved and I smiled. His overall appearance looked like a snowboarder, considering the clothes he wore. He also had wicked hair, though it had nothing on Ryu's.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Ryu spoke.

Leaning back in my seat, I looked out the window as the plane began to move and eventually took off. It would be a long flight to America, considering we needed to go to the western desert. I shut my eyes and relaxed while Ren, Ryu and Horohoro argued over something trivial. Despite the noise, I soon lost consciousness as I fell asleep.

The sound of a loud explosion awoke me from my sleep. My eyes snapped open and I looked around; the plane seemed extremely unsteady and the others looked just as shocked as I'm sure I did. "What's going on!"

"One of the engines gave away," Ren answered, opening the door despite how high we were. "We've got to go, now!"

No one hesitated at the order and the other guys bolted to the door, jumping out of the plane after slight hesitation. Horohoro took a little more persuasion in the form of Ren pushing him out and then jumping after him.

The plane jolted as I ran to the door and I gasped, crashing to the ground. _Fuck._ I needed to get out of there, or else I'd go up in flames when the plane hit the ground. I used the seats to pull myself to my feet and made it to the door. Just as I got there, the plane jolted again and I gasped as I lost my footing and fell out of the aircraft.

A scream escaped me as wind whipped around me and I descended. Ren and the others were nowhere in sight and I had no way to slow my fall. "Serena," I cried, looking around frantically, but I couldn't find her. Beneath me, the ground was nearing rapidly and I knew for a fact I would not survive the landing.

Just as I was ready to resign to death, something wrapped around me and abruptly stopped my fall. A whimper escaped me from the suddenness and my head throbbed in pain. I vaguely felt the thing release me, laying me on a somewhat-solid surface. Above me, I saw Serena in the distance.

"I got help," she said, sympathy shining in her eyes. "I couldn't do anything."

"Don't worry," I heard a young girl's voice say. "You're OK now."

The last I saw before passing out from my mental pain was the little girl – Opacho? – from before and the guy who had attacked Ren and Horohoro. Then, all went black around me.

* * *

And so the time has come for Hao Asakura to make his entrance into the series. Things will start getting more interesting from now on.

Also, I apologize for the slight delay between this chapter and the previous one.


	7. Chapter Six: New Companions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Six: New Companions

Dull pain throbbed at the back of my head as I felt myself slowly awaken. The force from the fall and abrupt stop obviously had some unpleasant side effects. I could do no more than hope my headache would pass in not all too long.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. No longer was I in the air; from what I could tell, we had landed on a mountain, or hill. There didn't seem to be nearly as many people as before, yet I couldn't properly judge that, considering I hadn't seen everyone before.

Groaning very slightly, I pushed myself into a sitting position and rubbed my temple. That damn tournament would be the death of me. I'd almost died three times since the start of it and Ren was the cause of two of the times. He had it out for me, I swear.

Hao – was that his name? – and Opacho sat on a large boulder together, looking at the scenery. I found it hard to believe Hao had been so cruel before; he looked so peaceful, sitting there with such a young girl. On cue, Opacho glanced over her shoulder and spotted me, awake. She turned back around to Hao.

"Hao-sama," she said, tugging lightly on his poncho. "She's awake."

"Yes, I noticed that, Opacho," he spoke in a calm, all-knowing tone. I watched as he stood up and jumped off the rock to walk over to me. Once Hao reached me, he kneeled down beside me. "How are you feeling, Era-chan?"

"Erm… I'm fine," I answered, slightly nervous about his presence. He seemed far too nice compared to before. A thought then crossed my mind. "How did you –"

"Know your name?" he offered, smiling. "Your guardian spirit told me; she's been extremely helpful."

Huh. So much for not talking to strangers; I'd need to discuss that matter with her in private, later. For now though, I had to deal with the situation at hand, which was Hao - and figuring out where the hell I was.

"Where are we?"

"America, we've made it quite far to the west." Hao regarded me with a calm expression, smiling.

America? I guess my luck hadn't quite run out just yet; at least I'd made it into the right country. Now I needed to find the village and I assumed it would be harder than it seemed. But before that, I wanted to get away from Hao and his gang. Though grateful for the help, I did not plan to travel with them, not after seeing Hao attack the others so ruthlessly.

"It seems most of your belongings were lost in the crash," Hao stated. "You're welcome to stay with us, Era-chan."

A frown tugged at the corners of my mouth - Hao had a very nasty habit of talking about whatever I happened to be thinking about. It annoyed me, to say the least. It was almost as if he could read my thoughts, but I doubted that; such a gift was far too rare.

"I appreciate the offer," I said, pushing myself to my feet. "But I really do think I should be going now."

His smile never left him as he, too, stood up. "It's a three day walk to the nearest town and you have no food or water. It would be best if you stayed with us, at least until we reach the town."

_Shit._ Reluctant as I was to admit it, Hao had a very good point. Traveling for three days in the desert, without food or water, would cause my fourth near-death experience in the tournament. I preferred to keep it to three; after all, the third time's the charm, right? I didn't want to risk the fourth time actually killing me. Yet staying with Hao's gang could very well _be_ the fourth time. Sadly, I couldn't look into the future to see if my safety would be endangered by staying with them.

Opacho hopped down from the rock and walked over to Hao's side. "Opacho would like it if Era-san stays with us." Judging from her expression, she spoke the truth and it felt as if she had tugged on my heartstrings.

At that moment, she reminded me a lot of my younger brother - where was he, anyways? I hadn't seen – or spoken to – him since we'd traveled to Tokyo together for the first round; I didn't even know if he'd won the qualification fight, or made it to the second round. That thought made me decide to stay with them for a little while. If I stayed with them, I might find him somewhere on the way to Patch Village.

"…Alright," I agreed, nodding. "I'll stay, at least until we get to the next village."

Hao nodded and glanced over my shoulder. Only then did I notice the man standing behind me; how long had he been there? "Luchist," Hao spoke. "Make sure there's enough food and drinks for an extra person."

The older man, named Luchist, nodded and left immediately. I assumed he was another one of Hao's followers; that could be the only explanation.

Sighing softly, I sat back down; I hoped I wasn't making a mistake by staying with them. For all I knew, it could've been a trap that I had now walked right into. Yet Serena had sought them out to help me and they had apparently obliged. If they had saved me, they couldn't be all that bad, could they?

Opacho sat down next to me and stared up at the sky; the sun had almost fully set, casting a beautiful reddish glow over the world. Those were the moments I loved, the few moments when I could stop, sit back and be a part of nature. Life went by too fast in the current world and hardly anyone took the time to embrace what was given to us by nature. They abandoned the most beautiful things of all; they destroyed not just nature, but themselves, as well.

I could sense Hao watching me, from the boulder he sat on again, but I didn't pay attention to him. Instead, I simply watched the rest of the sun set beneath the horizon, with Opacho watching the same thing with me.

Opacho and I both understood nature's beauty… and power.

* * *

And so, Era will be spending a couple days with Hao and his followers; things might get a little interesting from here on out. After all, new companions bring new adventures...

If you spot any mistakes, feel free to mention them so I can edit it. ^-^


	8. Chapter Seven: Little Acceptance

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Little Acceptance

"I hope you're not angry that I asked him for help," Serena spoke in a soft, hesitant tone.

The sun had finally set beneath the horizon a while before and I now sat on the boulder Hao had been on earlier, while he sat by a campfire with Opacho. The campfire had been beyond simple for him to create, considering the spirit he had. Anything fire-related was easy for him.

I shook my head, "I don't mind." A soft sigh escape me and I stared up at the stars - they shone brightly in the western desert. "You just wanted to save me."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Serena nod. "Yes," she agreed. "And I think it's wise of you to have accepted his offer; you wouldn't make it to the next town without food or water."

I nodded, though I was still hesitant about my decision to stay with them. It might have been a good choice, though it could've also been a terrible one; I wouldn't know until it was too late. Footsteps neared me, though I didn't react to them.

Hao sat down next to me and stared up at the stars, much like I was doing. As soon as he sat down, Serena disappeared into the mortuary tablet I carried with me to give us some privacy.

"Why did you join the tournament?"

A frown crossed my lips. Why did he want to know? Despite my curiosity due to his question, I answered, "To save nature. It cannot survive alone."

"That is the same as me. I plan to save our planet."

"By destroying the humans?" I scoffed; I had heard him discuss it with Opacho earlier that evening. "That's not the way to do it."

"Isn't it?" Hao glanced at me with a curiosity-filled expression, a slight smile crossing his lips. "They are the ones polluting the planet, the ones destroying nature."

"Not all do," I stated, then sighed. "…My mother is human." Telling him that could've very well caused him to despise me, yet I did it anyway. Only half my genes were that of a shaman, the other half was human.

I caught a glimpse of surprise on his expression, before a voice interrupted:

"Only _half_ shaman? She shouldn't be here! She's too weak to be with us."

Looking over my shoulder, I saw a guy around my age. His brown hair was straight and cut at his chin with a short fringe stopping above his eyes. Grey eyes stared at me, narrowed in detest.

"She would never have a place in your shaman-only world, Hao-sama," he spoke. "Her human blood would taint the powerful shamans!"

Hao made a soft 'humph' sound, rose to his feet and turned to face the one interrupting our discussion. Though his expression seemed pleasant, I saw a glint of annoyance reflect in his brown eyes.

"Ashil," Hao said. "I understand what you are saying, but strength is not measured solely by genes."

"But –"

"You doubt Hao-sama's decision?" Luchist, the older man, inquired. "He has chosen to let her travel with us."

"Yeah," Opacho agreed, glaring slightly at the boy named Ashil. "Hao-sama said Era-san can stay, so she stays."

Ashil scowled, but stayed quiet. Instead of saying anything, he sat down by the campfire and stared at it, refusing to look at me. I didn't mind, though my thoughts of it being a bad idea to stay with them were starting to get confirmed.

"Hao-sama, I must say I agree with Ashil," a girl with long blue hair said as she walked towards us. "We don't need some weak half-shaman around us."

_I'm not weak,_ I thought, scowling slightly at their presumptions. Just because half of my genes were human did _not_ mean I did not have the strength of a full-fledged shaman. They had no right to judge me without knowing me, _truly_ knowing me.

I noticed Opacho glance at me and for a brief moment, I had the feeling she could sense my internal struggle, that she knew my annoyance grew with every comment they made about me. Even so, I tried not to show my aggravation. I turned away from them and stared out at the sky, taking soft, deep breaths to try to calm myself.

"I could finish her off easily," I heard the girl say.

Scoffing, I flicked my wrist and sent a strong gust of wind at her, needing only minimal concentration. Though I couldn't see her, I heard her gasp and assumed the wind tossed her back a few feet. That thought was confirmed when I heard a soft _thud_ when her weight landed on the ground again.

"Don't test my patience," I spoke, voice calm, though filled with slight annoyance. "I am _not_ in the mood."

"You little bitch," the girl exclaimed, anger in her tone. "Ashcroft –"

"Enough."

That single word coming from Hao was enough to stop whatever the girl had been planning to do. I could only assume she had wanted to attack me; if she had, I would have defended myself. It was as simple as that.

"Kanna, Ashil," Hao began. "Era-chan will be staying with us until we reach the next village, perhaps longer. I expect you to treat her with respect while she's here."

I couldn't resist casting a glance over my shoulder to see Kanna and Ashil's reactions to that. Though they looked annoyed, they obviously respected what Hao had said and would do as he told them; from what I could tell, they were extremely dedicated.

"…Yes, Hao-sama," Kanna said as she lit a cigarette.

Ashil nodded and mumbled something of an agreement.

Apparently satisfied with that, Hao turned back around and sat down next to me once more. Unlike before, Hao now remained silent, watching the stars instead of continuing our discussion. As I was still calming down, I didn't mind the silence and merely resumed looking at the stars. Behind us, his followers were having quiet conversations and arguments, though I paid them no mind. I simply embraced the silence that came with the night and wondered how the rest of my journey would go, if I were to stay with them.

Part of me was also surprised due to the fact that Hao had stood up for me. Sure, he had been the one to invite me to stay with them, but even so. If he wanted to wipe out all the humans, then he had every reason to kill me. As Ashil had said, I didn't fit in his shaman-only world.

A soft sigh escaped me and I shook my head.

_Maybe he's not so bad, after all._

* * *

It seems not everyone is happy with Era's presence; a couple of Hao's followers seem to be getting a little jealous. Tsk tsk. And what's up with Hao, anyways? He's being oddly nice to Era. I also apologize for the slight delay in this chapter; it's been a busy week.

If you spot any mistakes, feel free to point them out so I can edit them. =)


	9. Chapter Eight: Sibling, Hate and Wonder

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Eight: Sibling, Hatred and Wonder

The time it took to arrive at the next village was pathetic, to say the least. We spent the night on the hill, slept on the ground and left the following morning, shortly after breakfast. The trip was easier than I'd imagined, considering we rode on the spirit of fire; due to the speed, we arrived at the next village shortly after sunset. It took a lot less time than if I would have walked.

As soon as we arrived at the village, I distanced myself from Hao's group and headed to some of the small shops. I needed to get away from the glares some of his followers constantly sent in my direction. Though I didn't care what they thought of me, I didn't enjoy being the on the receiving end of such negative behavior for so long. I just needed a break.

With a slight groan, I stretched my body and winced as my back seemed to snap. I was still sore from sleeping on the ground, but I hadn't had much else of a choice. Grabbing some snacks and drinks from the shelves in the store, I paid for them – luckily I had my wallet in my pocket when the plane crashed – and exited the building.

"Will you continue travelling with them?"

I frowned as Serena appeared next to me. "I don't know," I admitted.

The thought had been on my mind ever since I'd separated myself from Hao's group. On one hand, it would make my travels much easier, yet on the other… According to Yoh and his friends, Hao was evil, but I found that difficult to see. Hao seemed… kind, if not a bit unorthodox, and after talking to him, I knew that he meant well with his plan.

…He just had poor execution.

With a frown, I looked around the small village. Though nothing special, it had a certain tone to it - a tone of age, solitary, yet friendliness. Considering the town was in the middle of nowhere, solitary was obvious, yet despite that, the inhabitants were extremely friendly to the tourists who visited, or shaman who passed through.

Speaking of solitary; I hadn't seen Hao or his followers ever since I left them. Curiously, I regarded my surroundings, but found no trace of them. Odd. Though I couldn't see them, I knew they were in the village; I could still feel the distinct presence of Hao's power.

"Era!"

Surprise flitted across my face and I turned around to face the one who had called out to me. Instantly, I spotted the person, or rather, the group of people. Ren, Yoh and their friends jogged up to me and I noticed their numbers had increased by one - two, if you count the spirit. Relief flitted across Horohoro's face.

"Hey guys," I said, a slight smile coming to my lips.

"Hey guys?" Horohoro exclaimed."We were worried sick about you!"

"Yes," Ryu agreed. "We thought we lost you."

A soft laugh escaped me. "I'm fine guys, honest."

Yoh nodded and grinned sheepishly. "That's good. Ren here was really worried about you."

"I was not!" Ren scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at Yoh.

"Aww," I mused, smiling. "How cute." I distinctly heard Ren mutter something about regretting ever travelling with them; I snickered. "How'd you guys get here so quickly, anyways?"

"Ryu made a new friend," Horohoro stated, shaking his head. "We hitchhiked all the way here with that dude, what about you?"

I frowned, wondering if I should tell them, before shrugging, "It's a long story."

Ren seemed like he was about to comment, but then spotted something that caught his interest. Frowning, I followed his gaze and noticed a group of people just down the street. They all wore similar ankle-length white cloaks and I could only imagine how close each of them must've been to the others.

"Them again," Ren said, scowling.

"Aren't they," I frowned, trying to recall the name my father had once told me. "The X-Laws?"

Horohoro nodded, "Yeah, they say their goal is to destroy Hao and his followers."

I paled slightly at the news; Hao was more infamous than I first thought. Yet still I couldn't help the feeling that he wasn't as bad as everyone assumed; something just didn't seem right for that… there had to be more to it.

Turning around to properly face the X-Laws, I noticed one person standing by them who didn't wear the white cloak. He was obviously much younger than them, younger than I, even. His brown hair was cut short - I recognized the hairstyle. My eyes widened and I broke out into a run, heading towards them.

"James," I called out. "Get the hell away from them! Now!"

As I stopped in front of them, my younger thirteen-year-old brother turned to face me, wide-eyed. "Era," he said, surprise evident in his tone. "I've been trying to find you!"

Yoh and his group followed me there and now stood next to me. "You know him?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"He's my brother," I said, sighing, before turning back to my younger sibling. "I've been looking for you, too, James. Now please get away from the X-Laws, they're a bad influence." While saying those last words, I glared at the cloaked people standing by my brother.

James crossed his arms, annoyance flicking across his expression, but he listened. A few steps were taken and he soon stood by my side and no longer by the X-Laws. "They're not that bad," he stated. "They want to defeat that guy, Hao, and his followers."

I shook my head, "They want to kill him, and therefore they are no better than him. I dare call them worse."

One of the X-Laws, a blonde guy, stepped forward at that. "We are nothing like Hao," he spoke, voice calm, yet I could hear the anger within. "We represent all that is good in this world."

"To represent all that is good, _thou shall not kill_; surely, you are aware of that?" Shaking my head, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "No matter the evil deeds other commit, you shouldn't do the same, even if it is to wipe out that evil."

The blonde's eyes narrowed just slightly at my statement, "Hao must be destroyed –"

"You should listen to Era-san," a girl's voice interrupted.

Glancing to my left, I spotted Opacho walking towards us, for once not at Hao's side. Narrowing my eyes slightly, I eyed my surroundings; there was no way she was there without Hao's supervision. He couldn't be far and I assumed he'd been watching the scene unfold… from a safe distance, that is.

The blonde immediately turned to her. "You're one of Hao's followers," he observed, eyes darkening. "How foolish, coming to us alone." In a flash, he had drawn a gun and aimed it at her, right between the eyes.

My reaction was more instinct than anything else and I wasn't the only one who reacted.

Serena and I seemed to share the same thought pattern, for just as I stuck out my arm, she morphed into my staff. Within seconds, I had stepped into the path of fire and waved the staff with more force than usual, sending a powerful gust of wind at him. Beside me, the spirit of fire appeared, confirming my thought of Hao being nearby. Apparently he had also wanted to step in to protect Opacho… but I was quicker.

The blonde flew a good couple feet backwards, crashing onto the dirt-covered ground. He lost his grip on the gun and it slid a ways away; he quickly reached for it, and then turned to aim it back at me.

I pointed my staff at him, eyes narrowed. "What type of person are you, attacking a child?" I scowled.

"You," he spat, also noticing the spirit of fire's presence. "You're one of Hao's followers!" He still had his gun aimed at me, but hadn't shot yet; he didn't know who would be quicker, him, or me. He couldn't risk it or else he'd be dead before he could even pull the trigger. Excluding the fact that I didn't plan to kill him.

"No," I retorted, shaking my head. "I do not follow Hao, but I will not stand by and watch as you kill an innocent girl."

"You see, Marco," a male voice intervened. "You claim to be the embodiment of good, when in reality, it is not you… Era has a much purer look on things than you."

Hao walked towards us, stopping next to Opacho. "Era believes there is good in everyone, even me," he continued. "But you and your X-Laws will never understand her way of thinking." Hao smiled, glancing from me to the X-Laws. "And it is because of people like her that you will never destroy me, no matter how hard you try."

I stayed silent, multiple thoughts rushing through my mind as I thought about his words. His words were deep, meaningful, and he had a point, even if the X-Laws didn't want to admit it. But one thing bothered me, after what he said…

…_How the hell did he know about my feelings?_

* * *

I apologize for the long wait of this chapter, because it took me so long to write this, I made it a longer chapter than usual. Please forgive me for the negligence.

If you spot any grammar/spelling mistakes then please let me know so I can edit them.


	10. Chapter Nine: Important Decision

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Nine: Important Decision

"There is no good within you!" the newly named Marco spat, glaring daggers at Hao. Despite the detest for Hao, he kept his gun aimed at me - I was the immediate threat.

"Simply because _you_ believe in something, does not make it true," I said, interrupting their argument. "If you are willing to kill to rid the world of others who kill, then you are no better than them." I lowered my arm, no longer pointing my staff at the man lying on the group. "Shoot me if you must, but before you do, think about this: Have I done anything to harm you? If the answer is 'no', then you have no reason to hurt me."

Marco remained silent, glaring at me, and rose to his feet. "…Let's go." Without so much as another word, he and the other X-Laws walked away and soon were out of sight.

"It seems you might be able to talk some sense into them," Hao mused, expression once again pleasant. "I actually came here because Opacho wanted to know if you'll continue travelling with us."

…Hell broke loose.

"_He_'s the one you've been travelling with?" Horohoro exclaimed, shock evident on his expression.

"He's dangerous, you cannot travel with him!"

"She'll be a follower in no time."

"Sis! If you travel with him, I'll tell dad!"

Sighing, I waved away all the comments save for my brother's. "James, what I do is my decision. If you plan to pull the 'I'll tell dad' stunt, then I'll do the same. I'm sure he'll be very happy to hear you were with the X-Laws."

My brother looked appalled. "…You wouldn't."

"Try me."

With that said I ignored the others and let the idea of travelling with him roam in my mind. On one hand, if I travelled with Yoh's group, I would be with my brother and wouldn't have to deal with Hao's followers who disliked me. On the other hand, travelling with Hao's group meant I could learn more about him, would have a much easier time travelling, and could also stay with Opacho. The young girl had begun to grow on me, even though I had only met her.

Either side had pros and cons; it was a matter of choosing which one was the lesser of two evils… or the better of two goods, depending on how I looked at it. A few more moments passed as I thought, until my decision was made.

"James, I want you to go with Yoh and his friends."

"What? But, what about y –" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes growing slightly wide as he realized what I meant. "…You're going with him?"

I nodded and let my staff fade so Serena could take her original form; she appeared next to me, watching the others. "Yeah, I am."

"You're being foolish," Ren stated, shaking his head. "He'll kill you the moment you have your back turned."

_No_, I disagreed silently. _He won't._

"Well," I began in an indifferent tone, wanting to get away before anything happened. "That's a risk I'm willing to take. See you at the village." After those words, I turned my back to them. I knew they probably hated the idea that I would willingly travel with Hao, heck, they probably even hated me for it, but… it was something I had to do.

"Keep training, Yoh. I need you to be stronger."

With those words, Hao also turned away from them and walked away. Opacho and I followed, and as we walked to the edge of the village, I couldn't help but wonder.

_How will things go from here?_

* * *

I am _so_ sorry about the delay between the previous chapter and this one. College is being a bitch; they've been piling work on me like there's no tomorrow. Either way, I finally got around to writing the new chapter – it's short, but don't worry, things will pick up.

If you spot any grammar/spelling mistakes, feel free to let me know so I can edit them.


	11. Chapter Ten: Deception

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Ten: Deception

Nearly a week had passed since my brief reunion with Yoh and his friends, as well as my brother. Our progress to the village was slow due to the fact that Hao wanted to keep an eye on Yoh. Besides keeping an eye on him and his friends, nothing interesting had happened. All-in-all, it was rather boring, but so long as I arrived at the village on time, I couldn't complain.

Now, we were climbing a mountain in the middle of a blizzard. Hao's shield blocked the icy conditions from us which made it a much more comfortable walk, compared to what the other shamans went had to go through. This way made it much simpler, however, I had seen my brother further down the mountain and that worried me; I didn't want anything to happen to him.

Ever since we reached the mountain and saw more shamans, I noticed a slight change in Hao, but I didn't know what he was thinking. Something told me that I would not like it; he seemed... darker.

…Those thoughts proved true as we reached a clearing.

The Spirit of Fire appeared behind him and I instantly frowned. Something was about to happen. "What are you doing?"

"Eliminating the weaker shamans."

As if on command, the Spirit of Fire crushed the frozen ice of the river, unleashing its unfrozen wrath on any shaman lower than us. The roar of the rushing fluid echoed throughout the entire mountain and I paled.

"NO!" My eyes widened; James was still down there. "James!" I was forced to watch the raging water flow down the mountain in a powerful wave; I couldn't stop it, not when it flowed away from me like that.

"James…"

My legs gave away and I crashed into the snow on my hands and knees, tears forming in my eyes as I watched the disaster unfold helplessly. The piercing cold of the snow couldn't reach me due to my grief.

Shaking my head, I stared down at the snow, not wanting to watch my brother's death.

I heard soft crunching beside me as Opacho walked towards me. She lightly tugged on my sleeve and then pointed towards the river, without saying a word. Slowly, I raised my gaze and my eyes widened - the water had stopped.

_They stopped it,_ I realized, relief washing over me. _They're safe._

"How could you?" Serena's voice echoed throughout the clearing and I stood up, turning around to see what was going on; I hadn't even realized she'd left the mortuary tablet. "You could have killed her brother!"

Serena floated in front of Hao, expression twisted in fury. I had never seen her so angry before. As opposed to her, Hao looked as calm as ever, though his typical smile had melted off his face. Instead, he looked indifferent at the situation.

"If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll –"

"Serena!" At the sound of my voice, Serena stopped her rant and glanced at me. Her gaze softened and she distanced herself from Hao, as if sensing my thoughts.

Multiple emotions raged within me - anger, hatred, shock, relief, hurt, but most of all, disbelief. I had made the wrong decision in choosing to travel with him. It had been a mistake to believe that he had good in him, no matter how evident it had seemed during our conversations; I shouldn't have trusted him.

"You bastard."

I didn't give him a chance to respond; he didn't deserve one. Within seconds, I had stridden over to him and swiftly slapped him across the face with all the strength I could muster. Hao stumbled back, a shocked expression crossing his face, and he rose a hand up to caress his cheek. I shot a final glare at him, then turned around and bolted down the mountain.

The many feelings raging within me were killing me from the inside, but I suppressed them. I couldn't dwell on those things; I needed to see my brother and make sure he was OK.

"James!" By the time I reached them, my breaths escaped as irregular pants.

My brother looked happy to see me, despite our disagreement the last time we met, "Era, you're alright!"

I nodded, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I sighed in relief, but the joyful reunion didn't last long.

"_Now_ do you believe us?" Ren said with a scoff as he crossed his arms.

I looked away, trying to ignore the pain that comment caused. Ren had a point, a very valid point; I deserved the scolding.

"Don't be so rough on her," Yoh said with his typical caring smile. "She made a choice, that's all."

"Well, she chose wrong."

I looked up at the green-haired boy I had yet to be introduced to with a frown. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"Joining Hao isn't a mistake, it's a crime!" His spirit, a small pixie, jumped off his shoulder and floated next to him, staring at him with a worried look on her face.

"It's not like I'm one of his followers," I stated, scowling. "All I did was travel with him!"

"And you stood up against the X-Laws for him," the boy countered and then turned to the others. "How do we know she didn't _want_ Hao to eliminate us? Maybe he sent her down here to spy."

I visibly flinched. That one hurt.

"Lyserg! Era-chan would never do such a thing," Ryu said. His face showed he was appalled the boy would even think such a thing, let alone say it aloud.

"You say that, but had you thought she'd join Hao?"

"Lyserg…"

Vaguely I was aware that Serena had caught up and now floated behind me. "I –", I began, struggling to find words. Tears stung behind my eyes and I tried to hold them back. Sighing, I shook my head.

"Fine," I said, swallowing the lump that had settled in my throat. "I'll travel alone."

With those words, I turned around and started my way up the mountain. I had left Hao and there was no way I'd rejoin him after what he'd done. If they didn't want me to travel with them, then I didn't have any other choice. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and took a deep breath, attempting to force the tears away. The last thing I needed was them to see me crying.

"Era, wait!" Horohoro caught up with me, grabbed my arm and forced me to stop walking. "Don't mind Lyserg, OK? We want you to come with us," he spoke, voice portraying his honesty. "And as for Ren… you know him! He's always like that, so don't let it get to you, alright?"

A soft breath escaped me and I stared up at the clearing. Hao and his followers had already left, by the looks of it. For a moment, I ran the idea of travelling with them through my mind. Lyserg disliked me, that much was obvious, but the others didn't seem to mind me. And Horohoro had a point; Ren always acted like a jerk, but something told me it was a façade. Staying with them would also allow me to protect my brother if Hao ever tried another stunt.

"…Alright," I finally agreed. "I'll travel with you."

_Hao… how could you?_

* * *

Two updates in one week? The world must be coming to an end! Well, no. I'm trying to make up for two things. The first is the lack of updates in the past; the second is a lack of updates during November, due to _National Novel Writing Month._ I will still try to update in November, but I can't guarantee weekly updates.

Finally, a bit more action in the story! And drama; drama is good… sometimes.

If you spot any grammar/spelling mistakes, then please let me know so I can edit them.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Unplanned Reunion

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shaman King or any of the Shaman King characters that will be shown in this story. I do, however, own Era as she is my own character.

**Note:** This story is based off of the Anime. Also, before I forget, I am aware that most of the characters are between thirteen and sixteen years of age. For this story, I am changing that to between fifteen and eighteen, because the romance aspect just does not work, otherwise. Basically, everyone is two or three years older.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Unplanned Reunion

"_You know, I think we're almost there!" Yoh's cheery voice echoed in the air and I couldn't help but shake my head. He had said the same thing the day before, and the day before that. Still, it brought a smile to my face and I hoped that his statement would eventually ring true._

"_Really?" Ren shook his head, the slightest scowl on his expression. "How can you tell? Is it the never-ending desert that surrounds us?"_

"_There's a town over there," Yoh pointed out, nodding toward the distance._

"_What -?"_

_Raising an eyebrow, I spun around and eyed the horizon; Yoh was right. The form of a small town grew larger in the distance and I smiled in relief. "I suggest we rest there for the night."_

"_I second that," Horohoro piped in. "Having a bed to sleep in sounds awesome!"_

_Yoh grinned sheepishly and Ren scowled, crossing his arms. "Fine," he agreed. "Let's go."_

"_Yes," Ryu stated. "Yoh-sensei needs his rest."_

_Yoh just laughed._

_Lyserg wore an apprehensive, disbelieving expression on his face; his brows furrowed in frustration. "We don't have time for this; we have to defeat Hao!"_

"_Lyserg, you must learn to relax a little bit," Ryu told him with a shake of his head. "So much stress is not good for you, my friend."_

_Lyserg frowned and I knew something would happen; he would not follow our pace or stay with us if we insisted on resting, instead of rushing onwards to the village._

_I couldn't have hit closer to the truth._

Three days passed since then. Three days and a vampire attack later, we were well on our way to the village. After the attack, Lyserg left us to join the X-Laws and though it bothered some, especially Ryu, I couldn't help but be glad he left. The constant glares he sent me irritated me and gave me the same feeling Hao's followers did when _they_ glared at me. No matter where I went, the result didn't change – it never did.

Sighing, I saw down on a boulder and eyed my surroundings. Nature was both dull, yet intriguing where we were; at the bottom of a large canyon. Though the rock hardly varied in color and only showed a dull brown, the nature-made architecture of the stone left me in awe.

Not long had passed since more people had arrived – Anna, Ren's sister and Manta. One person I hadn't expected to see arrived as well; Faust. The reunion hadn't lasted long. Yoh and his friends, Faust included, entered the training to study the five elements Hao had learned.

Controlling the five elements; Hao was the first to ever do so.

"Yoh-kun and I are friends!"

Frowning, I pushed myself to my feet and glanced over to where Manta's voice came from. _Hao,_ I realized, spotting him on a boulder. Tensing, I refrained from glaring and instead focused on him and Manta. Manta appeared unharmed, so I kept my distance.

"You are allowed to think that."

The sound of Hao's voice made my blood boil, so I turned away. Instinct told me to leave – to abandon the group and travel on my own. I would have, if not for my worry for Faust. Once he returned safely from Anna's _training_… then I would leave. I needed to know for sure that nothing happened to him.

_Let him be safe, please,_ I thought, worry settling in the pit of my stomach as I took my seat on the boulder again. _Don't let him turn to Hao's side. We need him here._

* * *

This is a short update to let you all know that I am still alive! College has been extremely hectic, but I'm going to do my best to start updating more regularly again. This chapter is a little short, but they should be back to normal length as of next chapter.

If you spot any grammar/spelling mistakes, then please let me know so I can edit them.


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